Ever since I began taking my fitness adventures more seriously, more people approach me asking for advice. There are a few types of questions I get the most: How do I get abs? What exercises should I do to slim down my thighs? What can I do to tone up my arms? These are all valid questions. These are the type of questions on which many mainstream personal trainers or fitness programs have built their name. The promise of “10 Pounds in 10 Days!” or “Leg-Toning Workouts!” have many people desperate to work their legs EVERY TIME they go to the gym in order to see some kind of a result.
Now, I’m not going to pretend to be a certified expert here. I have a L1 CrossFit Cert, and that definitely does not cover bicep curls or lateral raises in order to reach a particular aesthetic look. However, I have made fitness the center of my hobbies and research for quite some time.
The truth about how to slim down your legs, get toned arms, or obtain that six pack?
Caloric deficit = overall fat loss = a more defined physique
You cannot do a million squats or crunches and expect to see toned legs or abs. As awesome as that would be, it simply doesn’t work that way. An overall loss of fat will lead to slimming down your legs or gaining definition in your arms. That means calculating how many calories you need in a day, creating a negative, and incorporating an appropriate amount of cardio.
I’d like to include another disclaimer: you CAN do more leg exercises to gain more muscle in your legs, etc. BUT, you will not see that definition until you reach a lower body fat percentage.
Being the honest person that I am, that is how I generally answer the questions I began this entry with. Sure, I could tell people I do legs twice a week because I’m trying to make improvements there, but I want to make sure they are aware that hard work will go totally unnoticed if they don’t wrangle in the diet and cardio as well. I hope this was helpful to some of you, and let me know what you think below! 🙂
Always,
